Two Sides of the Same Coin
by Homely
Summary: A collection of SasuHina short stories, some of which may be one-shots, others may have more parts.


**A/N:** Yo, so I've finally decided to post some of my works from tumblr on here. I find fanfiction is a much more comfortable site to read on. I'll post more later. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy some of these random stories that I've come up with! My tumblr is **sasukes-garbage.**

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 **The Man She's Never Met**

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It's always a vicious cycle with him; that's what Sakura says.

They know each other, in a way; of course they do. They live in a small town, roughly five hundred faces who rarely come or go. He is new, though as far as the townsfolk are concerned, Hinata Hyuga is still new herself, despite three years as part of their reclusive society. Still, she feels more comfortable there than she ever did in her home town of the big city.

Sasuke Uchiha has lived there for about a year. He's a tall man, who she figures to be around her age. He has black hair and a pair of malefic eyes to match. He wears dark clothing, a palette of blacks and reds that contrast with his near white complexion. Hinata isn't one to judge; she has dark hair and pale skin as well, but she compliments her features with purples and whites, whereas he seems to douse himself in black in order to fade away. He is a violent electrical storm, pulsing through the night, and she is like soft summer rain.

He walks around with his shoulders square, poised as though he has it all together, but Hinata can see that is far from the truth; she notices the way the corners of his eyes crinkle as he scans the shelves of the bookstore, a dark recollection crossing them as he stops on certain bindings, certain letters that must remind him of something. He doesn't buy anything when Hinata is working. She can't help but feel like he avoids her, but brushes this thought off; why would he? They've never even met.

Some nights, when Hinata works late, she walks home and sees him wander from the pub. Even when he's inebriated, he keeps himself composed. Sakura says he's just brooding, stoic and cynical, but Hinata doesn't buy it. The type of person to walk home, drunk and alone at one A.M can't be as simple as that; no, the man suffers from depression. When Hinata comes to this conclusion, she finds herself silently worrying about this man she's never met.

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It's seven o'clock in the morning, and Hinata is sitting in front of her piano. Sunlight peaks through the white satin curtains of her living room, and the smell of fresh coffee fills her quaint home. She takes a deep breath and touches the keys, searching through the extensive library of songs in her mind, before pressing her fingers to the instrument and playing a soft ballad in d-major. Her heart seems to pull, corresponding with the chords of the piano. Neji loved to hear her play before he left for work. Her eyes soften as she realizes that it has been six months since her cousin passed away.

After his death, Hinata had considered moving back to the city to live with her father, but she and Neji left for a good reason. They wanted no part in his dirty business, but he still insisted on paying the entire mortgage on their house. Hinata's part time work as an elementary school music teacher, plus her shifts at the book store provide her with more than enough money to pay the utilities on the house. She may be quiet and reserved, but she considers herself strong and independent. She never again wants to rely on a man to provide for her, so she adds money into her savings account each month with the intent to fully repay her father for the house.

The loud rev of an engine outplays Hinata's somber song. She lifts her head, and through the drapes, she sees Sasuke Uchiha zoom by on his motorcycle. The young woman frowns; she'll never understand the appeal in those stupid things. Doesn't he know how dangerous they are?

With a huff, Hinata stands up and adjusts her skirt. She is having breakfast with Sakura before work. Sakura, who is Hinata's only friend, talks about that man far too much and it gets on her nerves. It's been a year and seven months since Sasuke came around, and he's been the hot topic of conversation ever since. Hinata thinks it is interesting how they can have such opposing views on the same person. Sakura, who has met him and actively pursues him, sees him as an interesting, tenacious enigma, but Hinata doesn't see these things; she doesn't see a strong individual who comes off as callous as part of his charm, she sees the melancholy shell of a man who must have gone through something tragic. She doesn't tell Sakura this. She wouldn't believe it, anyway.

Sakura claims that she and Sasuke have a romantic connection. She says that Sasuke plays hard to get; sometimes, he acts like he is interested in her, and other times, he is on another planet entirely. It has always been like this; the vicious cycle, Sakura calls it. One minute he's there, the next he isn't. It sounds a lot like depression to Hinata, but who is she to vocalize claims about a man she's never met?

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It is Friday night, and the clock is creeping past midnight when Hinata puts her last book on the shelf. She sighs and drops down from the ladder, neglecting to put it away before she leaves the shop. She is exhausted, but her boss insisted that she stay late and finish stocking their new shipment.

Hinata shuffles her jacket onto her body, smiling at the autumn raindrops racing each other on the window. She steps outside and locks the door behind her. When she turns around to face the street, the light, happy rain suddenly becomes violent. Thunder crashes, causing her to jump, and at the pub just across the road, she sees Sasuke standing in the pouring rain. His black hair clings flat to his forehead, and when he attempts to light a cigarette, she muses that she's never seen a more miserable sight. _Perhaps I should offer him a ride,_ she thinks.

She shakes her head. What would he even say? Why has she been silently watching this man for two years, yet has never spoken a word to him? Suddenly, Hinata feels foolish. He's probably never noticed her, yet she thinks of him more often than she deems appropriate. She hugs her purse and runs to her Volkswagon, the heavy downpour drenching her as she struggles to unlock it. She gets in and slams the door, sighing in relief as she is safe from the rain. Thunder rumbles, and she starts her car, turning on the windshield wipers. When she lifts her head, she jolts as she sees the pair of black eyes belonging to Sasuke staring at her. He has noticed her, to her knowledge, for the first time. She blushes and drives away.

* * *

It has now been three years since Sasuke moved to Hinata's town, and today is the day he is finally leaving. Hinata always had an inkling that he wouldn't stick around forever; he simply never fit in. Hinata walks into her living room holding a pot of tea, where Sakura is crying on her couch. She claims that Sasuke lead her on, and Hinata agrees with her friend; he _is_ a jerk, though Hinata doesn't fully believe that. She can't tell Sakura that it's her own fault for chasing after someone who wasn't very interested, for getting her hopes up about a man who refused to open up to her.

Sasuke is moving to the city for a new job, and Hinata can't believe her ears when Sakura tells her that he's going to work for Hyuga Industries. Hinata lets out a small laugh of disbelief, because really, what are the chances?

Hinata drives Sakura to her job at the local comic book store. It's right down the street from the bookstore where Hinata works. They say their goodbyes, and Hinata goes to her shop. She notices the motorcycle parked out front and frowns. Sasuke is leaving today; why is he browsing the bookstore? With her brows knotted, she goes to open the door, but a man bursts out, causing her to jump. The man, otherwise known as Sasuke Uchiha, says nothing, despite almost shoving Hinata to the ground. Shocked by his audacity, she watches as he gets on his motorcycle and can't help but notice the book inside the bag he is carrying. Even through the plastic, she would recognize the cover of that book anywhere; it was Neji's favourite, and after his passing, Hinata's favourite, as well.

She enters the bookstore before the sound of Sasuke's engine can rattle her eardrums. She isn't sure why she is now foolishly smiling to herself and shaking her head; sometimes, life really can be funny. She watches through the window as he speeds down the street, off to his new life, and Hinata hopes that she'll never meet that man, but she has a strong feeling that she'll see him again.

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 **A/N:** This one was for a writing contest. I had to shave off a bunch of detail to fit the word count, though I ended up going over it anyway. For some reason, my word application didn't pick up on that, but fanfiction did. Weird!


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